STEiaiD.E — THE OWLS. 79 



of one tall spruce to another, apparently swinging or balancing itself, calling 

 to its mate at intervals, while chasing or being chased by it. 



Captain Drummond states, in " Contributions to Ornithology " (p. 37), that 

 he noticed a bird of this species, on the wing, within a few yards of him, in 

 the Bermudas. 



Mr. Dresser, wlio had ample opportunities of observing the Hawk Owl in 

 New Brunswick, where he found it by no means uncommon, describes it as a 

 true day Owl. It was often seen by him hawking after prey in the strongest 

 sunshine, or seated quietly blinking on the top of an old blasted tree, ap- 

 parently undisturbed by the glare of the sun. In its general appearance, and 

 particularly in its flight, it appeared to him to have considerable affinity to 

 the Sparrow Hawk. In New Brunswick it affected the open plains or so- 

 called bluel^erry barrens, where the open country is covered with low bushes 

 and an occasional scathed tree. It would sit on one of these trees for hours 

 in an upright hawk-like position, occasionally hunting over the ground, like 

 the Kestrel of Europe, in search of small field-mice. It showed but little 

 fear, and could be easily approached within gun-shot. When shot at and 

 missed, it would take a short flight and return to its former perch. On one 

 occasion Mr. Dresser, firing at one with a rifle, cut the branch close under 

 the bird, which returned almost immediatelv to another branch, was a second 

 time missed, and finally fell under a third shot. 



Its note is said to be a shrill cry, similar to the call of the European 

 Kestrel, and generally uttered on the wing. The stomach was generally 

 found filled with small field-mice, and rarely contained any remains of small 

 birds. They appeared to hunt after food chiefly early in the forenoon and 

 in the evening. During the day they rested on some elevated perch. In 

 the night they retired to rest like other diurnal Rcq^tores. 



An egg of this Owl, taken from the oviduct of its parent by Mr. B. E. 

 Eoss, April 16, at Fort Simpson, measures 1.50 inclies in length by 1.20 in 

 breadth. It is of oval shape, and of a dull-white color. Another egg meas- 

 ures 1.62 by 1.30 inches, is of a rounded oval, equally obtuse at either end, 

 and of a yellowish-white color. It was taken by Mr. MacFarlane at Fort 

 Anderson. 



Genus GLAUCIDIUM, Boib. 



Glaucidium., BoiE, Tsi.';, 1826, 970. Mkroptynx', Kaup. (Type, Strix passcrina, Lixx.) 

 Microglaux, Kaup. (Type, Strix havanensc, Kaup, = G. siju (D'Orb.) Cab.) 

 ? Taenio2)ty'/tx, Kaup. (Type, Noctua hrodiei, Burt.) 



Gen. Char. Size very small ; head rather small ; bill and feet very strong and roljust ; 

 no ear-tufts ; tail long, about three fourths as long as the wing, rounded. Nostrils cir- 

 cular, opening in the middle of the inflated cere-membrane (except in G. siju). Tarsus 

 about equal to the middle toe, densely feathered; toes haired. Four outer quills with 

 their inner webs emarginated ; third to fourth longest. Ear-conch very small, simple, 

 rounded. Bill yellowish (except in G. phulcenoides ?) ; iris yellow. 



